New R8 Surf

[Tvanessen9]

Just put down a deposit for a build slot for an R8 Surf. The first one the dealership has is the 1st part of June for a midJuly delivery. Just wondering if you could build a boat, what accessories would you make sure you had and which ones could you do without? We have only had used boats before, we have never used the head on our previous boats and am not sure I want to spend the $1500-$3000 on it. We are on the Lake of the Ozarks, and love spending the summers there.

We have 3 daughters 20/17/12 and lots of friends and family that we enjoy being able to take with us.

Just looking for some opinions on what you would consider must haves and things you would say are not worth it.

[AsLan7]

.
Hey T9. Welcome to the Cobaltchat forum. So glad you found us!

Looking forward to pictures of your R8. What color combo and engine selection are you considering? 430 for a 28 footer would be my minimum selected power for that size surf. Can’t beat low end torque.
I’d also get the arch plus racks and the premium sound.

Like you, I’ve never really used our head either. Others can’t go without them depending on the type of boating one prefers.

We also prefer transom remotes for both the outdrive and stereo control. These can always be added later though as can underwater lights.

If you anchor a lot then you might want to consider the Windlass option.

This is a start. Are you trying to stay under a certain price tag or just asking about usability of options? Others will chime shortly.

Again welcome aboard mate!

.

[tfarmer]

I’ve got a R6 Surf coming that I loaded up with most options. However, if I had to make a list of my bare minimums they would be the following:

Mooring Cover (because I don’t like all the snaps)
Glass Cockpit, Dual Garmin 8610, ( backup camera option will look better with larger screens)
Wireless Phone Charger, w/Holder, (great storage place for my phone)
Stereo Remote, Transom (very useful while hanging out on the swim platform)
Camera, Rear Facing (to watch the surfers)
Docking Lights-Stainless Steel (for the occasional night ride)
Flagpole w/Flag,(got to hang my UK flag)
Swim Platform Transom Lighting (looks cool )
Transom Tilt Switch
Underwater Lighting, RGB (again looks cool)
Wakeboard Racks
Cooler, Soft-Side (35L), (I was iffy on this but thought it might be easier to fill up and pack back and forth)
LED Interior Accent Lighting (RGB), (adds a wow factor at night)
Sof-Trac Mat, Cockpit, (went with this instead of seagrass for a little more sporty look)
Battery Maintainer/Charger,
Fire Extinguisher, Automatic System, (safety issue)
Tool Kit
Trim Tabs w/Indicators, w/o Autoglide, (I’ve read will help in tuning the wave but also had read people not putting them on surf models)
Windlass, All Chain w/Anchor, (got tired last two summers manually deploying our anchor)

[Tvanessen9]

Tfarm, I was thinking most of those same ones. Just wanted a couple of extra opinions.
AsLan, the dealer told me not to waste the money on the 430. That the torque you get from the 380 & forward facing prop is all you are ever going to need. I told him we would be waterskiing as well & he reiterated, don’t waste your money. Let me know what you think.
Also my color choice is Navy for everything but the boot stripe & hockey stick. They are going to be yellow. Yellow stitching on the inside.
But the color is the hardest part with 4 women all having to all agree. I think we are going to have to play some marathon card game where the winner picks.

[Big Block Power]

I really wonder how many sales people have surfed with a full family and friends and full ballast and full gas and water? Then surfed and skied. Sure I'm sure they played a bit on them but I'm really thinking not much in real life conditions. I agree it's Prob a waste? I know Bobrae showed me the prop charts. No need for it. They should just remove it from the brochure. Ok I'm done.

[AsLan7]

.
Totally agree with BBP.
We have a 26 footer (4700 lbs dry) with a tower built like a tank and a 425 hp Merc. I’ve had the 380 horse in the 26 footer without tower.
No way would I try powering our heavier arch model with a 380 now that I know the feel and performance of each.

You’re powering a 28 footer (6700 lbs dry) ...with ballast!
Personally I prefer twins in anything over 26 feet. You don’t have that option in the R8 surf. Of course you could opt for the slightly smaller R6 surf or ....get the R8 OB (non-surf) with twin 300’s.

.

[Jeeper]

Two things I would like to have on a surf boat are a rudder indicator and the side surf tow ball mounts.

[lespaulrob]

We ordered a R6 Surf with a VP 380 motor with the following options. I don't think I'd go smaller than the 380 on the R8 and might even say that the 430 would be best given the additional weight of that boat.

Mooring Cover
Glass Cockpit, Dual Garmin 8610
Wireless Phone Charger, w/Holder
Plat Sound w/Transom & Arch Spkrs-2 pr. --my $10k gamble that the stereo is going to rock...
Speaker Covers, Arch (Platinum Sound)
White Arch, Alum/Stainless w/Sunshade (fixed)
Camera, Rear Facing
Docking Lights-Stainless Steel
Sof-Trac "SURF" Mat, Gunwales
Surf Gate Accent
Swim Platform Transom Lighting
Wakeboard Racks, Triton
Bow Filler Cushions
Dinette Table w/Cockpit Receptacle
LED Interior Accent Lighting (RGB)
Sof-Trac Mat, Cockpit
Battery Maintainer/Charger, 110v
Trim Tabs w/o Autoglide
Windlass, All Chain w/Anchor

[tfarmer]

Those options were just my bare minimum list. The R6 Surf I have in order includes a lot more.

[BobRae99]

I'd pick the 430 for the R8 Surf. The prop charts have performance data for an empty boat other than a driver and some gas. That doesn't say how the boat will perform with ballast and heavily loaded. I'd delete some luxury options to get the extra power if that was necessary.

With respect to the head, with 3 daughters, why not ask them if they think they'll use it? If they won't you could skip it. You might ask the dealer whether the R7 sold more boast wit a head vs without. Not that you'll be selling anytime soon, but I always like to make sure I have the "popular" options.

[tfarmer]

In addition to my bare minimum list I also added:
Platinum Sound w/Transom & Arch Spkrs - 2 pr.
Satellite Radio
Speaker Covers, Arch (Platinum Sound)
"Cobalt" Letterring
Black Arch, Prisma, Elect Folding w/Sunshade
Surf Gate Accent
Windshield, Sport Black
"Beehive" Interior Accent
Bow Filler Cushions
Helm Seat, Electric
Storage Compartment Lighting

I elected not to get the head (toilet). We are never more than 15 min from our lake house and we hadn't used the one in our R5 the last two summers.

[Ronz]

I was going to go with the 430 on my R8 Surf that I am ordering but heard the 430 might be quite a bit noisier/louder which we really don't want when cruising. Anyone have perspective on this?

[bruceb58]

I would love to see a hp torque curve between the two. They are the exact same block. You surf at 12 to 13 mph so hard to believe they are that much different at surf speed.

I would not worry about noise. At a given Rpm, they should be identical.

[crmoncada]

I put an order for an R8 Surf on last November and after a lot of delays the dealer confirmed me that the production was starting 4/13/21, does anybody know how much time it takes to complete the build?

[Macarokks]

Tfarm, I was thinking most of those same ones. Just wanted a couple of extra opinions.
AsLan, the dealer told me not to waste the money on the 430. That the torque you get from the 380 & forward facing prop is all you are ever going to need. I told him we would be waterskiing as well & he reiterated, don’t waste your money. Let me know what you think.
Also my color choice is Navy for everything but the boot stripe & hockey stick. They are going to be yellow. Yellow stitching on the inside.
But the color is the hardest part with 4 women all having to all agree. I think we are going to have to play some marathon card game where the winner picks.

Seems most dealers are recommending that. The engines themselves are identical. On a gen 5 Volvo, the only difference is the ECM. Disgusting that a tune is worth a $10k difference, but it’s the truth. The 380 tune brings in more low end torque and the 430 tune beings the power curve higher in the RPMs.